SELECT COMMITTEE ON ONTARIO HYDRO AFFAIRS FINAL REPORT ON THESAFETYOF ONTARIO'S NUCLEAR REACTORS THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO THIRD AND FOURTH SESSION: THIRTY-FIRST PARLIAMENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON ONTARIO HYDRO AFFAIRS FINAL REPORT ON THE SAFETY OF ONTARIO NUCLEAR REACTORS THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO THIRD AND FOURTH SESSION: THIRTY-FIRST PARLIAMENT MEMBERS Donald C MacDonald, M.P.P., Chairman York South Jim Foulds, M.P.P., Vice Chairman Port Arthur George Ashe, M.P.P. Durham West 3. Albert Beianger, M.P.P. Prescott-Russell Sean G. Conway, M.P.P. Renfrew North Sam L. Cureatz, M.P.P. Durham East Evelyn Gigantes, M.P.P. Carleton East Ray Haggerty, M.P.P. Erie Mickey Hennessy, M.P.P. Fort William Vince Kerrio, M.P.P. Niagara Falls Nicholas G. Leluk, M.P.P. York West Bob Mackenzie» M.P.P. Hamilton East Julian Reed, M.P.P. Halton-Burlington John Williams, M.P.P. Oriole Alan M. Schwartz Siegal, Fogler - Barrister and Solicitors Consultant James D. Fisher - The Canada Consulting Group Clerk of the Committee Andrew Richardson Assistant to the Clerk James Stesky TO: THE HONOURABLE JOHN E. STOKES Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario Sir: We, the undersigned members of the Committee appointed by the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario on November 24, 1977* to inquire into various matters relating to Ontario Hydro, have the honour to submit the attached, final report on The Safety of Ontario's Nuclear Reactors. Donald C. MacDonald, M.P.P. York South Chairman I.P.P. Port Arthur } Chairman ^y inway, Renfrew Nor Evelyn Gigantes, MJP.P. Raj Durham East arleton East Mickey HennessyV M.P.P. _ I Vince M.P.P. Nicholas G. Leluk, M.P.P: Fort William. >V Ni York West JL Bob Mackenzie, M.P.P. WiUiams, M.P.P. Hamilton East Oriole * - Mr. Cureatz replaced Mr. MeNeü on April 17,1979; Mr. Conway replaced Mr. Kerrio on May 31,1979; Mr. Kerrio replaced Mr. Nixon on December 20,1979; Mr. Mackenzie replaced Mr. Di Santo on June 19,1979. FIN AL REPORT ON THE SAFETY OF ONTARIO'S NUCLEAR REACTORS TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 1: THE FIRST FULLY PUBLIC HEARING , 3 CHAPTER 2: THE SAFETY OF ONTARIO'S NUCLEAR REACTORS. 5 ONTARIO'S NUCLEAR REACTORS 6 OPERATING REACTORS ARE 'ACCEPTABLY SAFE' . 13 Radiation Release Standards 13 Safety Analysis & Research IS Basic Design Features 21 Lessons From The Significant Events 26 WEAKNESSES IN HUMAN PROCESSES 27 SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NPD REACTOR '29 CHAPTER 3: THE REGULATION OF NUCLEAR POWER SAFETY ... 33 GOOD FEATURES WORTH STRENGTHENING .... 33 Onus on the Owner/Operator 34 Basic Standards Are Sound . *. 34 Staff are Competent and Independent 37 REGULATORY PROCESS OCCASIONALLY FAILS . 39 Bruce "A" Shutdown Systems 39 Early Licensing of Bruce "A" 40 MORE CHANGES NEEDED 40 Reducing Vagueness and Uncertainty 41 Change Board Composition & Functioning 43' DISSENTS 45 FINAL REPORT ON THE SAFETY OF ONTARIO'S NUCLEAR REACTORS TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) APPENDICES APPENDIX A: TERMS OF REFERENCE APPENDIX B; CHRONOLOGY OF THE RECORD OF HEARINGS INTO THE SAFETY OF NUCLEAR REACTORS IN ONTARIO APPENDIX C: LIST OF WITNESSES APPEARING BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ONTARIO HYDRO AFFAIRS APPENDIX D: LIST OF EXHIBITS TABLED IN MEETINGS FROM APRIL 25, 1979 TO APRIL 10, 1980 APPENDIX E: INFORMATION PROVIDED BY ONTARIO HYDRO TO THE LEGISLATIVE LIBRARY FOR THE PURPOSES OF, AND USE BY, THE PUBLIC AND THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ONTARIO HYDRO AFFAIRS (*36 Volumes) APPENDIX F: CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN AECL-AECB-ONTARIO HYDRO SUBMITTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE LIBRARY FOR THE PURPOSES OF, AND USE BY, THE PUBLIC AND THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ONTARIO HYDRO AFFAIRS APPENDIX G: LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION The Select Committee on Ontario Hydro Affairs was established by the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario on November 2*, 1977 with Mr. Donald C. MacDonald, M.P.P. (York South) as Chairman, to examine and report on several matters relating to the activities of Ontario Hydro. The Committee's complete terms of reference are. Appendix A to this report. In March, 1978, the Committee tabled with the Legislature its report on Ontario Hydro's proposed uranium contracts with both Denison and Preston Mines. In October, 1978, it tabled its report on the construction of the heavy water plants at the Bruce nuclear site. During November, 1978, the Committee submitted an interim report dealing with Ontario's future commitment to nuclear power. This report contains the Committee's conclusions and recommendations on one aspect of its examination of Ontario's nuclear commitment, the safety of Ontario's nuclear reactors. Another report on a second aspect of the nuclear commitment,, the final disposal of nuclear fuel wastes is also being submitted this month. Later this year, the Committee will investigate a third aspect, safety in the mining, milling and refining of uranium. Throughout the reactor safety hearings, the Committee was aware of the motion passed by the Legislative Assembly on June 14, 1979, specifically directing it to consider "....the concerns expressed with respect to Rolphton (NPD) ...." Specific safety-related concerns about the small, demonstration reactor near Roiphton had first been raised before the Committee by a group of local citizens, banded together as the Renfrew County Citizens for Nuclear Responsibility. In order to meet the special directions of the Legislature, the Committee toured the facility, conducted a well publicized, open Committee session in the nearby community of Deep River and heard, on several separate occasions, both the detailed allegations of the citizens group and the responses of the plant operator - Ontario Hydro, the plant owner - Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and the regulator - the Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB). The Committee considered that its major task was to determine whether the people of Ontario should continue to accept the risks involved in the operation of nuclear reactors. 'Essentially this involved consideration of the likelihood that a significant proportion of the extremely large quantities of radioactivity contained in the reactor core could be released under accident conditions. A major release of this radioactivity into the atmosphere would almost immediately result in deaths and injuries from direct radiation to persons near the faulty reactor; the development of disease, some fatal, over the longer term; and the contamination of the surrounding area to an extent which would render it unuseable for some period of time. The Committee learned that it is impossible to assure absolute safety in the operation of Ontario's nuclear reactors. There are a broad range of possible accidents and subsequent consequences with varying likelihoods of occurrence. While the design, construction and operation of Ontario's nuclear reactors is permeated with attention to safety, all possibilities cannot be foreseen or totally eliminated. Even so, given the clear commitment of Ontario Hydro and AECL to safety, the past safety record of the existing reactors and the design mechanisms to limit the consequences of possible accidents, the Committee found that the chance of a very serious accident occurring in any single reactor is extremely small and, an the basis of the information considered to date, that the reactors are, therefore, 'acceptably safe'. In so doing, the Committee recognized fully that it was making a political/societal judgement that the benefits derived from nuclear reactors are worth the risks incurred. In order to complete its examination of the Provincial nuclear commitment, the Committee intends to inquire fully into all facets of the nuclear cycle from the mining of uranium ore through to the disposal of radioactive waste and to consider all aspects of the nuclear industry. Only at the conclusion of its continuing investigation will the Committee be able to arrive at a broad overall finding on the appropriateness of Ontario's commitment to nuclear power. Prior to its intensive examination of reactor safety, the Committee conducted a preliminary examination of the management of nuclear waste during seven days of hearings in October, 1978. As weli, in May, 1979, the Committee briefly touched upon Ontario's contingency planning in light of the confusion evident in implementing contingency plans in the area of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania after the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear station. Finally, the Committee has received the major findings on nuclear power of the Royal Commission on Electric Power Planning in the form of an interim report on nuclear power in Ontario entitled A Race Against Time and a Final Report on all aspects of electric power planning. The Committee's continuing investigation will involve careful consideration of the health, environmental, safety and economic aspects of: * mining and milling of uranium ore and disposal of mill tailings; * refining of uranium and its fabrication into pellets and, disposal of waste products from refining; * Ontario Hydro's particular strategy for adopting large multi- unit stations; and * nuclear power in relation to other alternative energy sources. Under the circumstances outlined above, it is evident that this report is not intended, and should not be viewed as, a complete response to the Committee's very broad undertaking. Rather it is a report to the Legislative Assembly on only one component, albeit an extremely important one, of the provincial nuclear commitment. A second report on the final disposal of nuclear fuel wastes, a second component of the commitment, has recently been finalized. Mining, milling, refining and fabricating will be investigated in the Committee's next set of hearings. The report itself is set out in three chapters. Chapter 1 will outline the hearing format adopted by the Committee and the emphasis placed on ensuring full public disclosure of all information deemed relevant to the decision-making process.